The Ladybug of Notre Dame
by zigzaglife825
Summary: What makes a monster and what makes a man? Well, that's just one of the things Marinette has to figure out if she is going save Paris this time. When a field trip to Notre Dame literally sends her and her fellow classmates on a journey to discover the truth, the answers may lie with one of her past incarnations. However, it will come at a very high cost.
1. Chapter 1

" _Life's not a spectator sport. If watchin' is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch you're life go by without you!" – The Hunchback of Notre Dame_

This day was a very special day for Marinette and her fellow classmates. Not because this was the day before spring break, but today was also their 10th grade field trip. Sure, they've had lots of trips over the year so far, but this trip was guaranteed to be the best one yet! For this trip, they were going to the most historical cathedral in all of Paris, Notre Dame.

As they all sat on the coach bus eagerly talking about visiting the cathedral, the only thing Marinette seemed to be excited about was being partnered with Adrien for the trip. She and Alya sat next to each other on the bus of course, but Alya could tell that her friend's mind was elsewhere as she tried to give her a game plan.

"MARINETTE DUPEIN-CHENG!" Alya shouted into Marinette's ear. Letting out a small shriek, Marinette's day dream of the trip turning into a date was quickly shattered and she wasn't really happy about it.

"AAH, W-What?!" she quickly replied, only to have Alya laughing hysterically in her face.

"Girl, you were totally zoned out for like the last 10 minutes! If you want your dreams to become a reality, just listen to my plan." Alya told her best friend with confidence. Marinette was truly lucky to have Alya as her best friend, even if the one secret she is keeping from her is the fact that she is Ladybug. When the time was right though, everything will come out into the open. But for now, Marinette listened to Alya's plan to get closer to Adrien. This time, at least she hoped, their relationship would blossom more.

Just as Alya was about to explain the plan, a small click came over the loudspeaker on the bus.

"Students, we have arrived at Notre Dame. You are advised and HIGHLY encouraged to be on your best behavior in this sacred place. Please stick with your assigned buddies and meet up at promptly 4pm for our wrap-up session. But also, have fun!" the professor announced. All of the students stood up and rushed off the bus to meet up with their buddies. Like always, Chloe and Sabrina were paired up, but they decided to also double team with Kim and Max. Alya and Nino were paired off, but knowing Alya, she was going to give Marinette the alone time she wants with Adrien.

Marinette stepped off the bus and saw Adrien waiting for her just a few paces away from where she was. Goodness, he was so cute. Marinette felt a slight blush burn into her cheeks as she approached him. Tikki took this opportunity to poke her head out and give Marinette some advice of her own.

"Don't worry, Marinette! Everything will be okay!" she squeaked right before Marinette hid her back into her purse.

"Hey, Marinette! Ready to explore Notre Dame?" Adrien greeted her, he seemed really excited about visiting Notre Dame. Marinette could feel his happiness and returned it with her cute cheeky smile.

"Oh yeah! Come on, let's go!" she said with confidence. Talking to Adrien wasn't so much of a challenge anymore, but Marinette did indeed slip up from time to time. They walked pretty close together as they entered Notre Dame with the rest of the class.

Notre Dame was like nothing they had ever seen before. Sure, some of them may have visited as children, but this time felt different. The sun shined in through the glass-stained windows, lighting up the main hall of the cathedral with a whole spectrum of colors. The statues and paintings of many famous religious figures lined the walls, all of their eyes pointing down and giving the illusion as if they were watching the class as they strode through the hall. Gentle organ and hymns could be heard distant in the cathedral, but what stood out the most was the ringing of the famous bells.

The class stopped in their steps to listen in awe at the beautiful melodies that were coming from the higher corridors of the cathedral. The toll of the bells could be heard all across Paris, but it was a lot different to be right at the heart of the magic.

"Welcome, my children!" a man's voice rang out in front of them. All of them turned to see the archbishop standing before this massive glass-stained window. All of the students crowded near him, even Chloe and Sabrina seemed highly interested in the announcement he had to make.

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other with excitement and tried to squeeze their way to the front of the crowd to get a better look. Once they got into a good spot, Marinette saw Alya out of the corner of her eye giving her a thumbs up on her progress so far. Giving her a thumbs up back, Marinette began to have a really good feeling about this trip! So far, everything was going along well!

"Welcome to Notre Dame, young children. As you explore the cathedral today, I hope you all find the magic and spirituality that those before you have when visiting this divine building. I know you were all given a worksheet to complete during your visit, but allow me to add an additional question. Can anyone name a story that maybe they have heard before about Notre Dame?" he asked. Everyone looked around kind of puzzled. There were many stories about Notre Dame, but Marinette decided to grab this chance for herself.

She quickly raised her hand, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Sure, it was a book written by Victor Hugo and then made into a movie, but just that one story has brought many travelers from around the world to experience the magic of Notre Dame first hand!" she spoke confidently. The archbishop nodded towards her, "She is right! But, the real question is, was that story or any other story for that matter TRULY fiction? That's something you can all figure out as you explore today!" he said before bowing to them and walking away.

Adrien turned to Marinette and placed his hand on her shoulder, "That was incredible! I didn't know you liked The Hunchback of Notre Dame, too!"

Marinette felt her face get hot again, but she remained confident. "Well, yeah! My mom always read the book to me and I loved the movie!" she said looking into his bright green eyes. Adrien felt his face get flushed a little watching her talk so passionately about the story. Feeling a bit unsure of what to do, and noticing all of the other groups had gone off already, he came up with a brilliant idea.

"Hey! Why don't we try to see the bells? Like he said, the story could be true for all we know! But, we'll have to go to the source!" he suggested, and was quickly proud that he did. Marinette smiled so brightly and obviously seemed to agree on the idea. Quickly, but quietly, they began to look around for a way to get to the bells. There were many prayer rooms and little alcoves, but none were what they were looking for. If anything, what they needed to find was a staircase. Marinette couldn't help but to feel drawn to the main part of the cathedral as she stared up at the giant stained glass window. Her thoughts drifted away from her adventure Adrien for a few moments and just felt like something was calling out to her. Suddenly, something came over Marinette as she looked to her right. There was a small old door with rusty hinges hidden away behind a red curtain. It didn't seem like much, but to Marinette, it seemed to hold the answer to this strange feeling that overcame her.

Adrien had only looked away for just a few minutes only to turn around and see Marinette walking towards are dark corner of the cathedral. There was something about Notre Dame that had changed Marinette in a way that seemed mystifying. Of course he wasn't just going to let her sneak off without him though, they were partners on this trip after all. He ran over to her side and poked her shoulder, "Marinette?" he asked, his voice low and gentle. Marinette didn't seem spooked by his sudden appearance at all, instead she seemed quite intrigued by something. With a small smile, she pointed at the old wooden door in front of her, "I think this what we were looking for!" she said happily. Adrien let out a small sigh of relief and looked at the door. It was very old and cracked, but the hinges didn't do it justice either. Adrien didn't want Marinette to get hurt trying to open the old door, so he gently moved in front of her. Slowly, he reached down to the door's handle and pulled it open, a small low creepy noise coming from it. It didn't seem to catch anyone's attention, which meant that it was time to explore! Adrien took a step inside the door, Marinette close behind him trying to get a look for herself. It didn't seem too dusty or anything, but it was a very narrow stairway.

Adrien looked back down at Marinette and held out his hand, "It's a pretty narrow staircase, hold onto my hand so you don't fall." Marinette felt like she could fly to the bells after he offered his hand. She nodded and took his hand, slowly following Adrien up the narrow staircase. His hand was so strong and yet very gentle with how he held her hand. They had only held hands a couple of times before, but this time felt different. As they made their way up the stairway, they occasionally passed a small window that showed the city getting smaller below them. It was quite a beautiful view, even though Notre Dame didn't seem that big from the outside, the views from the roof were probably so spectacular. Marinette began to think if she and Adrien could sneak up to the roof once they found the bells and share a magical moment like Quasimodo and Esmarelda, but she shook the idea out of her head as quickly as it came.

Adrien began to notice Marinette's grip tightening on his hand. He was going to turn around and ask if she was okay, but then again, he was pretty sure that they were almost at the top. Plus, if he had turned around now, he most likely startle her than help her out. They finally came to a wooden landing that opened up to an grand room filled with beams and old statues. The sun beamed in from openings in the walls and ceilings, letting in natural light and making the room glisten like it was in a fairy tale. Most importantly, some of the bells were in this room, and they were magnificent. With the sun hitting their bronze shells, a sense of warmth over came Adrien and Marinette as their faces lit up at the sight of them. Not only were the bells 30x their size, but that angelic glow just made them a sight to behold. Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse and Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt a little to gaze at the bells as well, after all, it's not everyday one gets to experience this sight.

Still holding each other's hands, Adrien and Marinette walked slowly up to the first bell. The grand beauty that was the bell Marie, one of the larger bells in the Cathedral. Marinette could feel an overwhelming sense of admiration flow over her, almost like she was reliving a long lost memory. Her eyes began to swell a little as she looked up at the magnificent bell, but she didn't want Adrien to notice. Marinette walked slowly around the bell, but was careful to not step too close to the edge of the platform. As she made it around, she found the spot where they had engraved the name "Marie" into the large bell. Letting out a small smile, Marinette lifted up her hand to touch the bell, but quickly drew her hand back as a voice called through out the room.

"DON'T TOUCH MARIE!"


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette's heart began to race as she took her hand back and turned towards where the voice came from, her eyes wide trying to find whoever called her out. Adrien quickly made his way over to her without falling off of the platform. Once he was by her side, he held his arm in front of her as a means of protection.

"Who's there?!" Adrien shouted back into room. He spotted some movement from one of the higher platforms and looked up. Marinette saw his head suddenly look and followed his gaze as well.

There stood a cloaked figure, a girl that looked to be just a few years older than Adrien and Marinette. They could tell it was a girl because only half of her body was cloaked and you could see her curvy figure in the white sweater and ripped jeans that she wore, but it was also her face. Even though half of her face was covered with bandages, she had dark tanned skin dappled with darker freckles and golden hazel eyes. Her hair was half shaved on the side that was covered in bandages, but the other half was long and dark with different colors of ribbons braided into it.

"You heard what I said! Do not touch Marie!" she shouted back, her accent seemed a bit odd to Adrien and Marinette. The two of them looked at each other, the worry slowly easing out of their heads. Marinette slowly took a few steps away from Adrien's side and towards the mysterious woman who towered over them.

"I'm sorry, we mean you no harm! We just wanted to see the bells! I'm Marinette, what's your name?" She called up to the woman. Adrien looked at Marinette with puzzled eyes, but then smiled softly. Marinette was always so friendly to people, even total strangers. The woman looked down at them, her face softened a little, but she remained cautious. She leapt down from the upper platform and landed on her feet with a thud. She straightened up her back and dipped her head with respect.

"Welcome, Marinette. I am called Wren; I am the bell ringer. Boy, do you have a name?" she said suddenly turning attention to Adrien. Adrien stammered a bit, he was surprised at how upfront she was to total strangers.

"M-my name is Adrien. Marinette and I are classmates here on a trip today." He said slowly finding his calm demeanor. Wren nodded her head and dug into a pocket inside of her cloak. She pulled out two small wooden flowers and handed them to Adrien and Marinette.

"I welcome you, Marinette and Adrien. I apologize for my approach, but please accept these tokens. I made them myself out of some of the old beams that needed replacing."

Marinette smiled at Wren and held the small wooden flower close to her heart, "Thank you, Wren! I'll treasure this forever!". She carefully put the small flower in her side purse, letting Tikki happily take it inside and snuggle it. Adrien knew that if he left it near Plagg, he would confuse it for cheese and try to eat. So just to be safe, he placed it in his pocket. Wren smiled a little at the fact that they accepted her tokens. Maybe they weren't a threat to her.

A loud noise came from just behind where the trio was standing. Wren ducked down a little and raised her arm to cover Marinette and Adrien. "You have to hide…My master is coming!" she whispered to them. Adrien looked around and found a small crawl space under the platform where they could hide. He quickly grabbed Marinette's hand again and ran to the space, sliding underneath the wooden platform. They both watched as Wren stood up and began to polish one of the bells.

"Wren, my little bird! I'm surprised to see you up so early!" an older gentleman's voice called. Wren turned around, smiling contently at the stranger.

"Master Darcel, Wren always rises with the morning sun." She said turning around and kneeling before the gentleman. Master Darcel was probably a little taller than Wren, he was an elderly man and a little bit on the heavy side. He was dressed in a very elegant suit and carried a small brief case in his hand.

"Well, today is a big day, my little bird. You see, there is a field trip here today. I just came to make sure that none of them have found you or anything." He spoke calmly, a small smile casted on his face. Wren's heart began to pound of her chest, if he had seen Adrien and Marinette, who knows what he would do. Nervousness began to creep up on her, but Wren did not let it show.

"Ah, Wren understands, Master. But…" Wren said, looking down and clasping her hands together. "Maybe…the children are not bad…maybe I could…talk with them? I only speak with you and the archdeacon…"

In the blink of an eye, Master Darcel grabbed her cheeks out of anger and Wren let out a small cry. Marinette and Adrien almost leapt out of their hiding spot to slap the guy, but they stayed put.

"Wren…I do NOT want you to even THINK about leaving this room. Do you really want to throw away EVERYTHING I've done to protect you? What if they saw your face?! Do you HONESTLY think they will treat you like a human like I do? Or like the monster that you really are?!" Master Darcel shouted, his voice echoing in the large room. Anger fired up in Marinette like a bomb had exploded in her chest. This guy was in no place to speak to Wren the way he was and just as she went to leave the crawl space, Adrien grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"Don't…it'll make things worse…Let's just wait for him to leave." He spoke softly to her. She could hear it in his voice that he was pissed too. Marinette hesitated to listen to him for a second, but crawled back towards him. At least she was with Adrien, if she was with Chat, he would have let her run out like a bat out of hell.

Master Darcel removed his hand from Wren's face and walked her over to a piece of shattered glass near where Adrien and Marinette were hiding. He held Wren by her shoulders and made her look at her reflection. "Wren…Right now, you are human. A strong human that I am proud to have raised and cared for."

Hearing him say that made Wren smile a little bit, she did look very beautiful right now despite the bandages on her face. But what Master Darcel did next would shatter those thoughts. He ripped the bandages off to reveal a very unusual deformity. Marinette and Adrien just looked at the incident in complete shock, not expecting it to take a turn the way it did.

The left side of Wren's face was covered in a scale like skin around her eye and grew into beautiful bright red and orange feathers along the side of her head. Master Darcel took a step away from Wren and threw the bandages on the ground, his face in a deep scowl.

"But like this…you are a MONSTER. If anyone else saw you like this, they'd have you taken away and perform experiments on you! If I hadn't rescued you when I did, you'd be dead. If I hadn't protected you for over 21 years, you'd be dead." Master Darcel said very sternly. Now both Adrien and Marinette were furious, but their attention shifted when they heard sniffles coming from Wren. Her face was scrunched up as tears streamed down her face and her hand trailed along her feathers. Adrien felt like transforming and clawing Master Darcel's face off, but then Marinette would know he was Chat Noir and there was no time for that. He looked over at Marinette and saw small pearls of tears rolling down her face; feeling just as upset, he put his hand on her back and pulled her a little closer.

Master Darcel began to leave the room, but he stopped and looked back at Wren again. She was on the floor crying and holding her face in her hands. "You are safe up here. I've made sure of that for the past 21 years. You are a monster, Wren. I apologize, but nothing will ever change that." And with that, he left the room. After about 10 seconds, Marinette and Adrien finally came out of their hiding spot and went over to Wren, who had stopped sobbing a little and looked at the glass. Her hand gently glided over the feathers and scaly part of her face, her heart breaking every second.

"I'm…a monster…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Everyone! I'm SUPER sorry about this late, but much needed update. Life got a little hectic for a while, but I'm proud to finally be able to publish this new chapter! Enjoy 3**

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Marinette couldn't imagine the amount of pain Wren goes through everyday, just the desire to be among people alone must be heavy on her. Without a second thought, Marinette placed her small hand on Wren's shoulder and bent down to her, looking at her with soft eyes.

"Wren…Do not believe that man for another second. You may not know this, but there are other people in this world like you." Marinette said gently, slowly rubbing her thumb on Wren's shoulder. With tears still gliding down her cheeks and her eyes bloodshot, Wren looked up at Marinette and sniffled a little. "Th-there are?", she managed to say through her sobs.

Marinette nodded, but just as she was about to speak, Adrien bent down right next to her. "Of course! And a lot of them are super heroes! Like Ladybug and Chat Noir! They protect Paris and the entire world from the darkness that tries to control it! It's because of their special abilities that millions of people are alive today!" he spoke, almost sounding like Alya giving another presentation on the dynamic duo. Wren studied the pair for a second, she had just met them and yet she felt as if she was meant to listen them and follow them. A small voice in her head kept saying to go with them, that they would deliver her to the freedom and happiness she has been seeking all her life. Hesitantly, she listened to the voice. Wren took hold of Marinette's hand that had rested on her shoulder and took one of Adrien's hands.

"Please, Marinette and Adrien. I do not know why, but I want to go with you. Take me to see Ladybug and Chat. I want to be free! I no longer want to be a "monster"; I want to be a hero!" she said practically begging the two. Blushing lightly, Marinette looked back at Adrien and made eye contact with him. They both had the same exact thought; meeting Ladybug and Chat Noir was easy, but doing so could risk their identities being revealed to each other. However, that was a small risk both of them were willing to take. The only thing that mattered right now was getting Wren safely out of Notre Dame, but how?

Just as Marinette turned to give Wren a reply, the trio heard a noise behind them. They turned around quickly to see Master Darcel standing there, his eyes wide open with disbelief and anger. Marinette, Adrien, and Wren stood up quickly, Adrien placing himself in front of Marinette and Wren as a means of protection. Anger curdled in Master Darcel's veins and pure darkness began to consume him and his heart.

" _You_ …WHAT ARE **YOU** DOING UP HERE? NO ONE IS ALLOWED HERE! **GET AWAY FROM WREN!** " Master Darcel shouted, his voice echoing throughout the bell room and the entire cathedral it sounded like. Some of the bells began to hum lightly because of the shift in energy creating subtle vibrations. Marinette could feel the shift in energy, a small fear slowly coming over her. She saw Adrien take a small step forward, " **NO!** WE ARE TAKING WREN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! YOU AREN'T HELPING HER AT ALL, YOU'RE JUST KEEPING HER TRAPPED UP HERE LIKE A **CAGED BIRD**!". Marinette had never seen Adrien so angry and serious before. She shook her head ignoring the thought of how much she wanted to fan-girl and stood next to him, Wren's hand in hers still.

"THAT'S RIGHT! And if you dare to try and stop us, you'll have Ladybug and Chat Noir to answer to!" she yelled back.

Master Darcel's face snapped into a deep scowl and dark energy filled the air. It was so thick that it formed a dark purple like cloud around him and created a spinning vortex. The cloud began to grow and grow until it consumed the entire room, eventually spreading out and into the rest of the cathedral. The class had gathered in the main hall to leave for lunch, but were frozen where they stood at the sight of the growing dark energy. They tried to move, but it was too late before they were consumed in the dark cloud too.

Outside, the massive cloud had begun to grow around Notre Dame, causing many citizens to halt their daily routine and watch in horror as one of their beloved icons was swallowed into darkness. Soon, the sky became gray and the sound of rolling thunder could be heard, lighting struck in multiple areas across Paris, and the dark cloud continued to spin around Notre Dame. Police drove around warning everyone to stay indoors and to avoid the area around Notre Dame, blocking it off with blockades and heavy duty police vehicles. As all of Paris bore witness to this mysterious force, Marinette and Adrien stood at the heart of it all, Wren close to Marinette's side.

The dark cloud was swirling and was quite powerful, but not strong enough to knock them down. Marinette held Wren close with her left arm and tried to cover her eyes with her right. She had lost all sight of Adrien and tried to call for his name, but a familiar voice rang in her ear.

" _Princess!"_

"Chat Noir?!" Marinette called, trying to keep her feet planted. She felt a gentle hand touch her right shoulder and felt her body being lightly pulled against another. Looking up, she saw Chat's eyes glowing bright green in the dark swirling cloud. She could feel Wren's arms holding onto his waist as he held onto both of the young girls. "I came as soon as I could! Don't worry, I already saved your friend Adrien. I have to get you two of here before something bad happens!"

"OH, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE LEAVING ANYTIME SOON." A dark hoarse voice rang into the air. Suddenly, the swirling cloud stopped, leaving the air very still and dark. It began to clear away and a figure could be seen a few feet in front of where the trio was. When the clearing opened up around them, Marinette, Wren and Chat Noir felt paralyzed and their eyes wide in shock. Master Darcel had transformed into a much taller figure, a long black robe covered his body and a blood red mask covered his face.

"IF YOU WON'T LEAVE, THEN I'LL JUST HAVE TO ERASE YOU FROM REALITY MYSELF!" Master Darcel yelled, his hands clutched into fists.

The energy emanating off of him was so strong that Marinette began to shake a little from the fear. She felt Chat's grip on her shoulder tighten as he pulled her closer to him. "Don't worry, I'll protect both of you until Ladybug arrives." Chat Noir said, his voice deep and stern, yet somehow calming. Just as Master Darcel took a step forward to attack the trio, a different kind of energy began to spin around them and increased in speed. The sound of the bells ringing sounded throughout the entire building and into the streets of Paris. Chat Noir looked up and saw that this new energy had frozen Master Darcel where he stood. He held Wren and Marinette close as the wind picked up speed, but he could hear a feint voice calling him. Chat Noir was able to hear and understand the voice, but he was confused. Chat Noir's eyes widened and he looked over at Wren, who was already looking up at him. Her bright golden eyes seemed very determined and had a fire in them.

"You heard her too?" he asked lightly. Wren, even though the wind was pushing against her heavily, nodded back to Chat. Nodding back at her, he slowly released Wren and allowed her to get swept up and away by the wind tunnel.

"ARE YOU INSANE, CHAT?!" Marinette yelled. Chat Noir grabbed onto Marinette and hugged her close to his body, "Just trust us." He whispered into her ear and finally allowed both of them to be swept up too. Marinette screamed as Chat Noir held her, the pair spinning and swirling upward in what felt like a tornado. She had closed her eyes tightly, but felt safe and comforted in Chat's strong embrace. Suddenly, she could also feel warmth and sunlight beating onto her as they neared what she assumed to be the top of this twister. At last, they stopped spinning and were floating in the air as they held each other.

"You can open your eyes now, Marinette."


	4. Chapter 4

**Helloo~ I know this chapter seems kinda long/rushed, but I needed to get it out of the way so we can move on with the PLOT :3 Hehehe, let me know what you think!**

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Marinette slowly opened her eyes, a bright light making her eyes sting lightly. Everything was blurry for about 2 seconds, but once it cleared up, Marinette couldn't begin to comprehend what she was looking at. Somehow, they were floating over the clouds that covered Paris. The sun rested gently on the fluffy clouds off in the horizon, sending beams of bright orange and yellow light. Marinette felt very overwhelmed at the angelic sight, it was almost like they were in heaven itself, but she knew for a fact that they weren't. She turned her head towards Chat, his face lit up with awe and happiness at the glorious scenery.

Marinette could feel her heart nearly pounding out of her chest and a light blush consuming her cheeks as she looked at her partner. She always felt a familiarity around him, but reality slowly started to set in for Marinette. Chat was holding her bridal style, which was nothing new to her, but she began to look around for Wren. Chat felt Marinette move within his arms and looked down at her.

"Don't worry about Wren, she's right over there." He said nodding his head to his right. Marinette leaned her head over, trying to hold onto Chat as best as she could.

Wren's bright golden eyes were wide with awe at the sight of this new location, she had only ever seen views like this through the windows of Notre Dame. Looking around, she started to finally realize that she was now free from her previous hold. It would be hard once they returned to Paris, but with the help of her new friends, Wren had hope for the first time in her life. A warm smile grew across Wren's face, she stretched out her arms and legs, feeling light as a feather as they floated above the clouds. She wanted to fly and spin around in the clouds, but a familiar voice stopped her before she could.

"A beauty like you should never be in a cage." A warm woman's voice spoke close to Wren's ear. Wren gasped a little and turned to her left, a very slim and elegant woman floated next to her. The woman had very pale skin and very long curly white hair that seemed to stretch past the length of her body. She wore a long white dress that was adorned with a bright sparkly dust and lace that wrapped around the edges. What stood out the most was the headdress that this mysterious woman wore, it had the image of a bird and from it's wings grew vines and more animals. Wren shook her head, she had had lost herself in the beauty of the other woman that she had nearly lost her manners.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to stare. I am-"

" _Wren._ " The woman said cutting her off. "I know who you are, my child. I have watched over you since the day you were born. Since all life on the Earth was born."

Chat Noir held onto Marinette and leaned near the two to get a better look at this mysterious woman. "You're the one who saved us, right? Who are you?" he asked, hoping that maybe she could give them some insight on what was going on.

"To you humans, I am known as Mother. The being that almost attacked you was my brother, Darcel. I fear that my brother may have become corrupted from being on the Earth-plane for too long." Mother tried explaining, she knew that the trio would understand, despite the fact that time was not on their side.

"Hawkmoth!" Marinette blurted out loud. Chat Noir looked down and cocked up his eyebrow, he knew that most of Paris was aware of Hawkmoth, but Marinette's quick answer seemed a little too odd. Noticing how unusually fast she had answer that, Marinette could feel her face flush a little and her heart beat picking up.

"Uh, I-I mean, it has to be, right?" Marinette said trying to cover up her slip up. Feeling a little suspicious, Chat Noir just nodded and went along with her answer. Now wasn't the time to investigate Marinette anyway, or so he thought.

"Marinette is right, a villain who can turn people and other living things into monsters could be behind this. My partner, Ladybug, is the only one who can purify-" Chat tried to explain, but was cut off by Mother.

" _The Akuma_. My dear boy, I know everything about you and the powers bestowed upon you and your friend. Do you know who created your miraculous?" Mother asked. Wide-eyed, Chat Noir exchanged a confused look with Marinette and Wren. Mother smiled and laughed, her energy filling the trio with warmth and love like they have never felt before. She extended her arms and surrounded them with golden light particles, healing any wounds and giving them strength. Marinette let go of Chat and floated next to him and Wren. She felt so carefree and happy in this moment, but then noticed that the particles began to form a bubble around them.

"I created the Miraculous…" Mother said gently. It was then that Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse and made her self known before Mother, but also in front of Chat. Marinette and Chat Noir looked at each other shocked, " _Ladybug_ …? Marinette, you're…" Chat started to say but soon found himself at a loss for words.

"It's an honor to finally meet you." Tikki said bowing her head to Mother. Marinette's face was completely red as she turned away from Chat and looked back at Mother. Too much was happening too fast for her to explain everything to Chat Noir.

"I created everything on Earth…From the beautiful flowers and prairies, to the vast oceans and tallest mountains." Mother spoke looking over at Wren. With her power, she surrounded Wren in a golden aura and her eyes light up. Wren's skin began to glow and her eyes became covered in a bright golden light. She could feel incredible energy and power flowing throughout her veins, it was like an internal flame had awoken inside of her. Without even knowing, Wren's hand was touching her feathers across her face. She could feel each little feather warming and burning upon her touch, but it didn't hurt her. A vision of a great beast engulfed in flames came clear in her mind and called out to her, but it wasn't her name that it called. Suddenly, everything cleared out and she was starring at Mother, who's warm smile made Wren come close to crying. " _You_ …" Wren said reaching her hand out to touch Mother. Mother shook her head and floated away as she opened up a hole in the clouds.

"I am called Mother, because I am the Mother of the Earth. And you, my darling Wren, have a beautiful adventure ahead of you. Stay with these two. They will lead you to your real home." With that, Mother sent the trio through the clouds and back down to Paris.

As they floated back down, it was obvious that the trio still had a lot of unanswered questions, but seeking them was going to take some time. One thing was clear though, they had to stop Darcel and defeat Hawkmoth. As the clouds began to thin out, the air got darker and darker the closer they got to the ground. Feeling a little nervous, Chat Noir extended his arms and grabbed Wren and Marinette's hands as they braced for impact.

"Mar- I mean…M'Lady, let's find somewhere to come up with a game plan. If we attack now, there's no chance we would win."

Marinette nodded, "Let's go to my house. I can give Wren new clothes and we can work from there."


End file.
